Secret Weapon
by Kaytee33
Summary: Picard discovers that an enemy from his past has returned to seek revenge on himself and woman he loves. Set after Chain of Command.
1. chapter 1

It was damp. The kind of damp that you would never encounter on a starship. No matter how good a holodeck is, it couldn't possibly recreate the humidity and moisture effects of being in a harbor at twilight on a cool fall evening. The air hung salty with the sea, and thick with fog.

Dr Beverley Crusher did not like to be damp. Her uniform hung limp and heavy on her. She could not wait to get off this damned planet and back to her humidity-controlled cabin. She would change right away, pull her hair back into a clip… maybe it was a good day to review that play she was thinking about using for the next production…Macbeth with a hot cup of tea…

 _Focus Bev._ She was here for a very important reason. She was meeting with the captain and federation representative here on Morena 2. It was a secret meeting in a dark and unsavoury place. She had no idea why she was here, or what the captain could possibly have planned. Of course, she trusted Jean Luc completely, so if he asked her to be here, then here she was.

She began to hear footsteps on the dock behind her. She slowly crouched down behind a bench as she watched to see what was happening.

Jean Luc Picard, captain of the starship USS Enterprise approached their meeting spot, completely alone and unarmed. She sighed in relief and revealed herself by standing up and stepping forward.

"Jean Luc" she began.

He whirled around, surprised to find she had reached the rendezvous location before him.

"Beverley" he did not smile. "thank you for coming. I apologize for the location and timing of this meeting. I …"

"…wait, are you on your own?" she interrupted. If he was alone why the hell couldn't they have just met on the damn ship?

"Yes, Beverley, I couldn't risk bringing…"

"...then what the hell are we doing down here?" she demanded "what could possibly be…"

"...sorry," this time Jean Luc interrupted her, "I know you hate to be damp." He cracked the slightest smile and looked down, slipping his captain's mask off. "I would not have asked you to come if it weren't of the utmost importance."

Her tension lessened slightly at his more friendly tone. She stepped closer to him, focused.

"I believe you may be in great danger, so I needed to get you off the ship as inconspicuously as possible. Beverley I can't tell you much more, but for the next few days, I need you to stay here on the planet. I have rented a room under a false name and have installed a replicator for all your food and clothing needs. Please speak to as few people as possible, without looking suspicious. Hopefully this will all be over in a week or less, but this is the safest option until then."

Beverley looked at him, stunned, "Jean Luc, I'm all for following orders, but is there anything else you can tell me? Why am I in danger? Is Wesley safe on Earth? Did I do something wrong?"

He waved off her questions. "I do not believe that Wesley would be in danger, but you most definitely might be. You are absolutely not to blame for any of this." Jean Luc stepped even closer to her then; they were practically touching. "Please Beverley, I cannot tell you more. You must stay here and blend in."

"Jean Luc, what could anyone possibly want with me? If a it a medical issue? Diplomatic? I am not a coward, I would prefer to stay and fight any accusations or aggressors. I don't want to put the people of this planet in danger with my presence." Beverley trailed off, looking into the eyes of her captain and her friend. There was something there she wasn't expecting to see: fear, "Jean Luc, are you in danger? Let me stay and help you. Have I done something to put you at risk?" she grabbed his arm, pleading, "What is it, Jean Luc? You can't just leave me here while you go to face dangers on your own! I can't protect you if you push me away!"

He voice was beginning to get louder. Jean Luc became aware of a few local men and women starting to look their way. They were still wearing Starfleet uniforms. He grabbed Beverley's arm and started walking back to the street, away from the harbor. "Dammit Beverley. I need you here, I need you safe. This is not your fault or your doing." He whispered harshly.

She pulled her arm free, looking at him with confusion and frustration. "Well then what the hell is it? You're terrified Jean Luc! Let me help you."

He stopped abruptly looking at her. Sighing his hand went to her shoulder, "Help me by staying here. Please don't let anyone know who you are. Destroy your uniform and hide your communicator. Your room is just up this street. Number 33. Apartment 6." He pulled her into a hug. "I will see you again soon." He let his hand linger a moment longer.

With that, he turned and left. Beverley was momentarily stunned, but she obeyed her captain. She walked straight to the building and shut the door behind her. _Well_ she thought to herself, _at least I can destroy these damp clothes._


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter 2

Picard beamed up to the Enterprise as soon as he parted ways with Beverley.

 _Now to get the hell away from her_ he thought to himself. "Picard to helm, set course for Starbase 452. Warp factor 5."

"Aye sir, warp factor 5. Course laid in"

"Engage, ensign" Picard ordered as he exited the transporter room. "Picard to Lt. Commander Worf,"

"Worf here, sir."

"Mr. Worf please meet me in my ready room."

"On my way sir."

Picard took the turbolift to the bridge, where he was greeted by Riker at the Conn. The first officer stood to make way for his captain, but Picard waved him off, "As you were, Number One, I'll be in my ready room."

Picard strode into his ready room as Riker cut a sideways glance to Troi beside him.

"I don't know," she responded to his unspoken question, "but something is not right. He is afraid, but hiding it well."

Will nodded, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see…keep an eye on it though, Deanna."

Picard strode into his ready room to see Worf standing at attention in front of Picards desk. _Ever the loyal soldier._ Relieved that he was to have such a trustworthy ally to rely on, Picard sat at his desk, motioning for Worf to sit as well.

"Mr. Worf," Picard began without any preamble, "as you know, on our mission to Celtrus III, I was captured by the Cardassians as they were trying to get information from me regarding the Minos Korva development."

Worf nodded uneasily. That mission was a very sore spot for him, as he had to follow orders and leave his captain behind to be captured. _Has my punishment finally arrived for such an act of disloyalty?_

Picard could see in his officers' face the pain that arose at the memories of that mission. "It was a difficult mission for all of us Commander, but what you may not have known is that while holding me captive, the Cardassian known as Gul Madred used methods of torture in order to retrieve the information he sought."

Worf shifted in his chair. Learning this information made him wish even more that he had stayed to defend his captain.

"Once the Gul realized I did not have the information he desired, he continued to torture me anyways, trying to break my will just for his own amusement."

Picard stopped and took a breath, looking carefully at Worf, "Mared told me that you had been killed trying to resist capture, and that Beverly had been captured like me. The Gul said I was free to leave, and that she would be interrogated in my place if I left.

"I don't know if Madred actually would have let me leave, but I was getting up to walk out the door when he told me about Beverley. I sat back down and continued to play his games, thinking I was sparing Beverly from such a fate."

Picard paused and Worf spoke, "Sir it is honourable to suffer in the place of a crewmate and friend."

Picard nodded, "My thinking exactly. When I sat back down I believed I was protecting a member of my crew. Unfortunately, I now believe I may have done just the opposite."

Worf's brow knitted together. "Sir why is Dr. Crusher not on board the ship?"

Picard sighed again "When the Cardassian central command learned of Mardred's actions it was ordered that I be released at once to the federation, and Madred himself was reprimanded by the Cardassians and moved to a ship that was far away from the demilitarized zone. This was largely seen in the Cardassian community as a demotion for Madred in punishment for his unethical actions."

Picard rose and turned to face the window. "I received a message on a highly secure channel from Admiral Nenchayev yesterday. She informed me that Madred has abandoned his post and left for federation space with a small band of loyal followers. She gathered from the Intel she received that he blames his punishment on Starfleet and myself specifically. She believes he may be on a revenge mission."

Worf stood as well, leaning on the desk with grave focus. "You believe he will attack the Doctor as a way to hurt you."

Picard turned back to Worf and put his hands on the back of his chair, "When Madred threatened to torture Beverley, I sat back down in the chair, as I would for any crewman or innocent victim. However, I had been in Madred's clutches for three days. I was wearing a scrap of cloth, and had been deprived of sleep and food. When I sat down in that metal chair, I saw a smile across Madred's face and I knew, _I knew_ , I had given myself away. I had shown the Gul in that moment that I cared deeply for Beverly and that the thought of her torture terrified me more than the thought of my own suffering. In that moment I showed him that my feelings were a weakness. I showed him how to defeat me."

Jean Luc paused, and looked at Worf, a man he respected deeply. A man whom he trusted so completely that he could reveal so deep of a secret, that, before now, he didn't dare even admit it to himself.

Worf maintained his grave look. "So you have hidden her for her protection."

"To keep her with me here would be to put her into the line of fire. Madred knows where I am, and if he found her in the same place he would undoubtedly take her to make my punishment greater. My thinking is: if he comes after me, and can't find Beverley, he might just leave her alone and focus on me."

"If we are expecting such a threat, I will have our security team trained and at the ready, sir. " Worf asserted. I must ask, Captain, would you not have wanted to leave a small team on Morena with the doctor for her protection?"

"No" Picard answered quickly, the fewer people know she is there, the safer she will be. _And the safer my reason for hiding her will be._ I had her meet me alone on the planet surface after giving her handwritten coordinates to use in the transporter. She is to live there under a false name for as long as this takes. As far as everyone else knows, she left on a shuttlecraft this morning to the Delos system. I falsified the shuttle logs and conference application myself. Only myself and now, you know where she is. She will be safe, and when this us all over, if I do not survive, you can go to retrieve her."

"Understood sir, I shall review the security duty roster in order to ensure our ship is as safe as possible during this threat.

"Thank you Mr. Worf, I knew I could trust you with this. Dismissed. "


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter 3

Beverley was stuck. She had ventured outside her room to the street below to try her hand at a little bit of gardening. She had replicated a pot with soil in it upstairs, but she wanted to take some clippings from a local plant to try to grow something new and find some source of usefulness in this accursed situation she had been left in.

The plant she wanted was just a little out of reach, so she had slid along the side of a metal fence on her hands and knees and bam!

Stuck.

 _Dammit Jean Luc! What the hell is going on out there?_ Here she was playing Mrs. Greenthumb while he could be fighting for his life up there. And all the damn secrecy! What could possibly be going on up there? Over the past three days since Jean Luc had beamed back up to the ship she had wracked her brain trying to think of every possible thing it could be that would put her specifically in danger. She thought of her family, maybe something that Wesley or her Nana had done required her to have protection… but Jean Luc had specifically said that Wes was not in danger. She thought of missions where she had been captured, like on Rutia IV. Maybe Finn's terrorist group was back together… that could be it, but it's unlikely. She thought of science developments, like the metaphasic shield that allowed the Enterprise to drive into a sun… had that put a target on her back? Hmm she just couldn't know for sure. And why would Jean Luc be so afraid of any of those things?

Beverley sighed. She had been through all of this over and over and none of it made sense. She followed Jean Luc's orders and played it real low, careful not to be memorable. Now here she was stuck to a fence.

"Hey, are you ok?" a passing Morenan man greeted her, his head tilted to look her on the eyes, "Here, let me help you." He reached forward and pulled her sweater off of the wire it was stuck to. Then he offered a hand and helped pull her up.

"Thank you" Beverley blushed, "I'm… Felisa." She said, remembering the name Jean Luc had booked her room under.

"Markai" the man replied, "It's nice to meet you. He had dark hair, he was tall and his skin had a light purplish hue that was common on Morena. "Doing a little gardening?"

"Oh," she smiled, "yes. Just trying to take a cutting of that beautiful flower. I was hoping to brighten up the apartment a little."

"Ah yes, that is called a Beverley Bush. They are quite beautiful."

Beverley's heart stopped as she looked at Markai. Was he the one who was after her? Does he know who she really is? _Or is it just the name of the flippin flower Bev_?

"Lovely" she replied. Willing her voice to sound even and calm. "Well, thanks for saving me. I guess I'll see you around."

She smiled and walked back up the stairs to her room. Shutting the door behind her, and leaning back against the closed door. _Crisis averted. Stay inside Beverley. Don't be an idiot._

\-- page break --

"Wesley! Hello! it's nice to hear from you! How are you?" Picard smiled as he answered the subspace message.

"Hello Captain, it's nice to see you too." Wes replied, a slight look of confusion on his face. "Things are going well. I had a great time on that leadership retreat you recommended. It was really fun and I made some great contacts with the older students."

 _I have about your time at the retreat,_ Picard thought proudly, _the admirals who attended were so impressed with your performance that they contacted your mother and I to discuss your future in Starfleet. "_ I'm glad you enjoyed it Wes, I'm sure you did well" was all Picard said aloud. _Wesley deserves to find his own path, not be led down the way that the admiralty would have him go._

"Sir, I admit I was surprised to have you answer my call, is my mom in the middle of something?" Wesley asked politely.

"Oh yes" Picard replied, "I am sorry to say she is currently in the Delos system at a conference. She was called away at the last minute so I am not sure you will be able to contact her. Would you like me to pass on a message for you?" Picard hated lying to the boy, who was as close to his own family as could be, but he had to keep Beverley safe, at any cost. With any luck this would be over quite quickly….

 _But would it though_? It had been 4 days now and still no federation reports of Madred crossing through the demilitarized zone. Where is he? Could the reports have been mistaken? Or exaggerated?

He had Worf running security drills to prepare for an attack, and Beverley sitting in a rented room on a far-away planet with no idea what threat she was hiding from.

 _Could I have over reacted? I wish I could ask my senior officers for advice, but I can't…what could I possibly… I cannot admit why this is all happening, what information I gave away to Madred._

"Oh no," wesley replied, bringing Jean Luc back to the present, "Thanks anyways. I'm just preparing for my science finals and thought I would ask for a little advice. I will try again later, bye Captian!"

"Goodbye," Picard signed off, feeling so helpless, and knowing there was nothing he could do about it.

\--page break--

 _"…and thought I would ask for a little advice. I will try again later, bye Captian!"_

Madred listened to the conversation again, trying to see if he could find any hints and clues. Madred was indeed on a mission of revenge, bent on destroying the human who had cost him so much. He knew he could find Picard on the Enterprise which was currently on its way to Starbase 452, but the human himself could only provide so much entertainment. It was the female he really wanted to find. Beverley Crusher, Picard's beloved. She was his real weakness, Madred knew that for certain after threatening her life on Celtrus. Catching her and using her to hurt Picard would be a true pleasure, a and would afford him the victory he had sought for so long.

Madred looked around at his loyal crew, who had followed him on this vendetta. Surki, a female Cardassian sat at the helm, deftly avoiding obstacles and controlling the cloaking device he had luckily acquired. She was supremely skilled, and he was so thankful that she saw his vision of Cardassia and agreed to follow him on his mission of justice.

Sitting behind him was Benga, a Cardassian man with the wits and skill to not only track Starfleet's ships and personnel, but he could also hack into just about anything. Today he was helping Madred to review Picard's subspace communications in order to track the man down and find Crusher.

And finally, sitting on the floor by the viewscreen was Jil Orra, Madred's beautiful daughter. The Gul felt a swell of anxiety, watching her look out into the vastness of space. She had been there to see Madred's triumph, at dominating the great captain on Celtrus III. Unfortunately, she had also been present to see his failure, as he was reprimanded and demoted. Madred believed that if he had done the job right, and broken the illustrious captain, he would indeed have been praised as a hero. The Cardassian Union was coming to an end, to make way for a great Cardassian Empire. In this new order, the strong would reign supreme.

It was for that reason that Gul Madred knew he must finish what he had started. He could gain back his power by defeating his greatest foe. He could be a strong and noble example for his daughter, and his power would allow him to give Orra whatever she needed in life, while also creating a great life for himself, and the faithful Surki and Benga. Yes this was the path to greatness indeed.

"Sir it seems that the female has left the Entreprise" Benga spoke from behind Madred, "the Delos system is only a few hours away at warp factor 3."

"Yes" replied the Gul," I believe that is our best course of action. Surki, lay in the course and keep that cloaking device in perfect function. Benga, begin searching the federation communications for information about this conference. We are on a short timeline here, who knows how long the Cardassian Union will take to locate us."


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter 4

Beverley had begun writing letters. She replicated herself a padd, and was in the process of writing another letter to Wesley.

 _Wes_ , she began, no need to make this too formal, since she never intended to send these letters, _I miss your voice. I would love to just sit and listen to you tell me about your day, or about just about anything. For so long it was just you and me all the time…now it's just me. And you._

 _I am so excited to see where your life will lead you. You have greatness inside you, and I hope I can help you find the right path. Just last week Jean Luc and I received a message about you from Admiral Waller. They are so impressed with your leadership skills at the academy. Honestly Waller wanted to fast track you through the academy and get you on a ship as fast as possible._ _Jean Luc and I decided_ _not to tell you about the message. You deserve to grow up, not be forced into anything too soon…_

Beverley stopped and looked up from the padd. Anxious again about the decision not to tell Wesley about the Admiral's message. _Is this what Jack would have done? I think he would have signed on the dotted line to do whatever the admiralty wanted for Wes, but Jean Luc agreed with me that…_

There he was again. Jean Luc Picard. Her captian, her best friend, her partner in parenting _…when did Jean Luc go from being afraid of Wes to helping to raise him?_ Beverley marvelled at the growth Picard had experienced with his relationship with Wesley…. And Wesley's growth under the most respected captain in Starfleet… and most patient, and wise man she had ever met.

…Jean Luc. The reason she was sitting in this apartment, afraid to go outside. _Hmm, he was so on edge when he left me. It seemed like he was in danger right along with me. What could it have been? Did it have something to do with the Borg?_ Could there be a threat that he knew about and couldn't tell her. Or the Cardassians… they had captured and tortured Jean Luc only a few months ago. Was it something to do with that?

…and what could all that have to do with her? Bev admitted, she was important part of Jean Luc's life, as he was in hers, and that their friendship was far from secret… could someone be after her as a way to get to him?

Bev sighed, and put the padd down. She still had no idea, and no way to find anything out. Another day wasted in this place. Perhaps tomorrow she would venture outside again.

\--page break--

 _I wonder if it is possible to wear a hole in Starfleet regulation carpet_ Picard mused with resignation. He could not sit still wherever he was. He paced in his ready room, he returned to his quarters in the evening to pace there. He did not know how much longer he could keep the crew from just murdering him in his sleep. He was irritable, and while he was able to have brief and honest conversations with Worf about the imminent threat, the secret was driving him crazy. He missed Beverley, and for all he knew she could be fighting for her life right now. Of course, he didn't dare check in on her for fear of giving away her location to the wrong people. He didn't know how much longer he could endure the pressure.

Thankfully Admiral Nencheyev, aware of the threat to his crew had fabricated maintenance orders to keep Picard at the Starbase, where he had multiple Starfleet vessels within range, if needed. Geordi, thankfully, did not argue with the new maintenance orders, even though they were definitely not warranted.

Jean Luc was in his quarters, reading the same page of MacBeth over and over again, when his comm went off.

"Worf to Picard, in coming message from an unknown source."

Unknown? How was that even possible? "Yes, send it through please Mr. Worf, and please join me in my quarters at your earliest convenience." Picard replied. _This must be it_.

"Hello Picard" Madred sneered into the screen, a smug look of satisfaction on his face.

"Gul Madred," Picard replied, using every ounce of his will to look confident and casual as he stared down a face that struck terror and shame in his heart. "And what could you possibly be contacting me about on this fine evening?" Picard was determined to give away nothing.

"Oh I do believe you have some idea why I am contacting you, human." Madred smiled indulgently, almost in a joking tone, "I am sitting here in the Delos system, and it seems that your paperwork is not in order Picard. The organizers of this medical conference seem to believe that you may have mistakenly registered you chief medical officer as a participant, when she is not, in fact, in attendance at all…"

 _My God_ , thought Picard, his stomach dropping to his toes with the mere mention of the word Delos, _he's not coming after me at all, he's going right for Beverley… and I've left her on her own with no idea what is going on. What have I done?_

\--page break--

Deanna sat upright in bed and slammed her communicator sitting on her bedside table "Troi to Riker"

A pause, and a groggy voice " _Riker here_."

"Will, you told me to keep you apprised on the captian. We need to get to his quarters now."

\--page break--

"…not to worry human," continued the Cardassian as he drank in the slight crack in Picard's captain mask, "My crew and I are searching tirelessly for her. And when we find her, I promise we will bring you two back together for a wonderful reunion… oh it will be such fun, don't you agree…human?"

Picard took a steadying breath and leaned forward, as Worf came into the room, quickly taking in the scene. "Gul Madred, you are in violation of the treaty between the United Federation of Planets and the Cardassian Union. I can guarantee you will be brought to justice, and your crew will all be disciplined to the full extent of the laws of the treaty."

Picard spared a glance to Worf as a rather rumpled Riker came into the room, trying to take in the situation. "You will not win. You are still a frightened little boy, and I will continue to pity you as I watch your defeat once and for all."

He turned off the screen and turned to face his crewmen.

"Deanna called me sir," interjected Riker, "she sensed you were in distress and I came as soon as I could."

Picard looked at his first officer. He should have known that this was not a situation he could solve on his own. Perhaps he could involve his crew without being clear about why Madred was targeting Beverley. Deanna came into Picard's quarters, ready to help in any way she could.

Worf looked to his captain for guidance, willing to support whatever decision Picard came to, as always. _I expect these men and women to trust me with their lives, to have faith in my decisions. It's time for me to return that trust._

"Yes Number One, I'm glad you came." Picard nodded, as if assuring himself, "its time that I discuss this situation with the senior staff. We are going to need to be ready for anything, it seems."


	5. Chapter Five

Hey everyone, i'm really appreciating the reviews and follows. i hope you are enjoying my story. i have really enjoyed writing it. The story is complete in 8 chapters and an epilogue, but i probably won't post again until Wednesday.

Chapter 5

The sun was finally shining and Beverley decided it was time for a walk. She left mid-morning, a perfectly non-interesting time of day to have a walk. She wore black and gray clothing, very plain and uninteresting; and, because most people on this planet had not seen a person with red hair before, which is very interesting, she pulled all her hair up into a warm hat. Being the fall season on this planet, Bev hoped that Morena had the equivalent of a toque so that her choice of head gear would be noticed by no one at all.

On Morena 2 there was a very utilitarian attitude towards nature. The natural world was not something to be explored and enjoyed but rather a tool to harness for the needs of the people. As a result, there was no nature walk or park that Beverley could explore. She walked past the harbor that was down the street from her building, and beyond that there were some planted fields close to the shoreline. She found a worker's path down the middle of the fields and continued her walk.

At the end of the fields she came upon a small village, likely a few residences and shops for the workers of the farms. She walked through the town, careful not to enter any shops or interact with any of the locals. She stopped at the end of the street and looked back to see a beautiful scene with the quaint village in the foreground, the golden fields beyond that, and the shining water in the background.

It was a gilded cage, this existence she was living. So Bev took a few moments to enjoy the views of her cage, and absorb a little sunlight.

Unfortunately the peace was not to last. She heard the explosion before she saw it. A farm vehicle close to the village was on fire. The air carried screaming and smoke in her direction as her healer's instincts kicked in and she ran towards the blaze.

There were three Morenans close to the blast. One was definitely unconscious or dead and the other two were very much alive and shouting in panic. She assessed the situation for hazards and decided she was safe to approach the unconscious man. She checked his vitals, finding a pulse in his left shoulder – as is the norm for his species- and found him to be breathing. She looked over his body, and found that a large piece of metal was stabbed into his belly – right about where Mornean physiology would place his third lung. Beverley knew she could not fix such a wound in the field and called for help, asking someone to call the emergency services. That done, she ripped off her hat and jacket to make a bandage for the man. With him stabilized and ready for transport, she moved on to the next-most severe patient: a woman with an obviously broken leg. As she reached this patient she realized the woman had a teenage boy with her-perhaps a son. He looked at Beverley with blood and soot smeared on her shirt, and her own flames of red hair trailing down her shoulders. "Its all right," she told the boy, "I'm a doctor. I'm with Starfleet."

The boy nodded and moved aside, letting her treat his mother and auntie – the other injured woman. By the time the emergency responders had arrived, Beverley had all three patients ready for transport to their local hospital and safe from further aggravating their injuries.

"Wow" said one of the medics, "thank you for helping, you might have saved the male patient's life."

Beverley kept her head down and merely nodded, eager to escape the growing crowd that formed around the scene. She quickly flipped the hood from her sweater back over her hair and walked back to her apartment as quickly as she could without looking interesting. As was becoming habit, she closed and locked the door behind her, berating herself as she leaned against it. _Dammit Bev. You might as well take out a billboard. Federation doctor hiding here! Right this way!_ _I may have just cost myself my own life._

\--page break--

Picard gathered his senior staff together as quickly as they could assemble. In fact most of them had already been asembled in his quarters, with the exception of Geordi and Data. They sat together in the conference room – Picard planning his own ideas for what to do next, Worf running risk assessments for different courses of action in his mind, and the rest waiting curiously, eager to finally discover what has been distracting their captain all week.

Picard began explaining the situation in much the same way he had with Worf – explaining the details of his interrogation that were not public record. He skipped the details about his false release from Madred's torture - where he revealed to the cardassian his feelings for Beverley - and focused instead on the Gul's punishment and demotion. Jean Luc told them about Nenchayev's warnings, and his plan to move Beverley to Morena while falsifying the records to show she was at the Delos conference. He concluded by playing the conversation between himself and Madred. Picard couldn't help but panic internally all over again watching the Cardassian laugh at him and his attempt to fool them. He thought he had kept Beverley out of harm's way, but instead he seemed to have done the worst thing for her safety…once again.

Data was the first to speak up. "Sir I find one detail puzzling about this ordeal: if you and Admiral Nenchayev knew that Gul Madred was likely seeking revenge on you, how did you know that Dr. Crusher may have been under threat as well?"

Picard had prepared for this question "Well Data, since she was also on the mission to Celtris III, I suspected she may also be a target of his humiliation. Beyond that, I can only tell you that I was working on intuition and 'gut' feelings Data. I cannot explain it further."

The meeting concluded with discussion around a plan to retrieve Dr. Crusher from Morena without alerting Madred, who they surmised must have access to a cloaking device, and a crewman who can navigate the federation comm system. They decided that speed was key, and they would simply have to hope that they could beat the Carassian ship to the punchline.

Picard dismissed the crew with orders to immediately retrieve the doctor and return to their defensible position at the Starbase.

Deanna stayed behind.

"Yes Councellor?" Picard semi-dreaded this conversation that he knew was inevitable. She would want to discuss his feelings, specifically his feeling about Beverley.

"Sir I know this is a conversation that you do not want to have"

Picard smiled slightly, "Ah, right to the heart of it, I see."

"Well," Deanna continued, "you are in luck, because I'm not going to make you have it."

Picard's brow knitted ever so slightly.

"You don't need to explain it further: your concern for Beverley, your intuition that she may be used as a target to hurt you…"

Picard sighed. Target. _I have made you just that Beverley._

Troi continued, "you don't even have to feel guilty about what events are unfolding right now. Captain," she paused, shrugging her arms, "Jean Luc, you don't have to explain it further to any of us because we love her too."

\--page break--

Gul Madred turned off his subspace communicator and smiled. He had them right where he wanted them. Picard had indeed suspected that Madred would target Dr. Crusher, and he had moved her off the ship. The Gul had only to find her, and presumably she would be his for the taking. Now she was obviously not here in the Delos system, where should he look next for the lovely doctor...

"Sir" Benga said, prompting Madred to turn around and face him, "I have set the computer to automatically scan for mention of Starfleet doctors, and I think I may have something. I am picking up an interesting report on the news feed of a planet in the Bacara system. Listen:"

 _…the human left the scene before she could be reached for comment, but witnesses say she had bright red hair, and told a bystander that she was a doctor from Starfleet. That story again, three farm workers from the Naran province are injured, but stable after being…._

"The Bacara system?" Madred replied, "Benga, do a quick flight log review, was the Enterprise near any planets in that system recently?"

"Yes sir, they were close to Morena 2 just last week."

Madred smiled and stood up, "Then that is where we shall find her. Surki, set a course for Morena 2." Madred turning to his daughter, who silently watched the events unfolding around her, "Now my darling Jil, begins the final approach. The hunt is at hand, and we are to collect a great prize."


	6. Chapter Six

Hi everyone. thank you again for reading. i was so inspired by your nice reviews that i stole a few minutes to put up an extra chapter. thanks again!

Chapter 6

"Captain Picard, incoming message from Admiral Nenchayev."

"Thank you Mr Worf, on main viewer."

Picard sat in the captain's chair as his ship continued to speed towards the Bacara system. He sat upright as Alynna Nenchayev appeared on the main viewer.

"Jean Luc I am contacting you regarding our friend…"

"Alynna," Picard interjected, "you may speak freely. I have informed the crew of the threat regarding Gul Madred and the plan involving Dr. Crusher."

"All right," the admiral continued, "it was at your discretion to do so Jean Luc. I am contacting you regarding new information pertaining to Dr. Crusher."

Picard nodded, Nunchayev continued, "it seems she may have accidentally given away her position. The following is a clip form a news broadcast on Morena 2…"

As the new report played, detailing the acts of a red-haired doctor from Starfleet, a small smile appeared on the faces of the bridge crew… she just couldn't help but save someone, even when it could cost her her own life in the process.

Nunchayev spoke as the broadcast finished, "It is our impression that Madred has a crewman on his ship who can navigate the federation comm system. Jean Luc, he _will_ find her, and there is no one on Morena who can help her. You are authorized to use any means necessary to find his cloaked ship and capture Madred and his crew before he can add any more to his list of crimes against our treaty with the Cardassians. Good luck Enterprise, Nenchayev out."

Picard turned to his bridge crew, they all had the same concerned look in their eyes, "Suggestions?"

"Sir, if the cat's out of the bag, I feel that we should consider sending the doctor a message, warning her." Riker replied. "We can't give away her position if she already gave it away."

"Sir, Geordi and I have been discussing Madred's cloaking device." Data turned from his station, "there are several ways we can detect a cloaked ship when we are at close range, however the farther away we are, the less accurate we would be. I recommend we consider the trajectory of the Cardassian ship. They are likely travelling from the Delos system directly to the Bacara system, so we should focus our scanners on the pathway between those two places. I believe that with this in mind, we have a 87.356% chance of locating the ship before it reaches the planet."

"Yes, make it so Mr. Data," Picard replied turning to Riker, "Yes number one, I agree. I shall contact Dr. Crusher myself. I'll be in my ready room."

\--page break--

Dr. Crusher couldn't sleep. She had heard the evening news cast, and now sat, waiting for whatever the hell was coming after her to wander through her apartment door…or break through the window… ah, who knows? Maybe the glass of water she was drinking was poisoned. Maybe her whole building would explode in 3…2…1….

…or maybe not. Maybe nothing would happen at all, and she would be tired and bored tomorrow.

Beverley got up to walk towards the replicator. It was time to try her Nana's warm milk and nutmeg. It might just do the trick to relax her.

… _rusher_

Beverley heard, or thought she head something coming from the bedroom.

 _Come in Beverley_ …

Oh! Her communicator!

 _Picard to Crusher_ …

Beverley pulled open the lamp in her bedroom and unscrewed the shade, pulling out her small lifeline. She banged her communicator with more force than was probably necessary. "Crusher here!"

 _Beverley thank goodness. Are you all right?_

Beverley sat up on the bed where she was perched with her dismantled lamp, "I don't know Jean Luc, you tell me."

There was a pause. _I know, I'm sorry. I should have explained what was happening in the first place._

"Well, all right." Beverley paused, satisfied that her displeasure had been heard, "I can tell you I haven't seen or heard anything unusual since you dropped me off here…well, other than…"

.. _.other than saving three people from an explosion and telling a witness that you were a Starfleet doctor_?

Beverley winced. "Yep. Other than that." She replied with unease. "are you in orbit?" she assumed, seeing as he was in communicator range.

 _No, I'm sorry. Engineering is boosting my signal through a series of relay points. We are currently about 3 hours away from your position. Beverley, I am contacting you now to warn you that you are in immediate dan…_

"…danger?" Beverley interrupted. "Jean Luc I already know that, what the hell is going on?"

Another pause. _Beverley, it's the Cardassian Gul Madred. He is on a mission of revenge against Starfleet and myself specifically. He…wants to capture you as a way to get to me._

Beverley knew much about Picard's time in Madred's capture. She had healed his many wounds, and listened to his cries in sickbay that first night after he was brought back to the ship. She had relieved every other person on the floor in order to afford him some privacy, but she had stayed to monitor his health. No wonder he is terrified. _I cannot fathom how he would feel knowing the Cardassian intended to capture him again and…_

 _…wait..._

"Jean Luc, you said…"

 _Beverley_ , Picard interrupted, _Madred knows about...He told me while I was captured that you were there too. He said he would interrogate you and…I must have looked…I gave away my feelings for you…. I must have seemed more upset than I would have been if you were just my friend._

Beverley's stomach did a somersault. "Jean Luc, I…"

Picard sighed. This was not the way to have this discussion. He interrupted her again. _Beverley, Madred went looking for you right away. He is moving with a cloaking device. I thought he would come after me first, I was wrong. We are trying to catch him before he gets to you but…_

"...but it's likely that he will use today's news report to find me."

 _…we believe so_.

Beverley sighed herself. _Just a friend_ rang somewhere in the back of her mind, but there was no time to deal with that yet. Time to run.

 _You might as well keep your communicator, Madred could just as easily find you by scanning the planet's surface for humans. You would be safest if you could find somewhere that would interfere with transporters or scanning signals._

Beverley listened to her captain as she grabbed a small pack from the replicator and filled a water bottle. She was pulling on layers of clothing as she spoke, "I may know a way …its worth a try. Jean Luc…be safe out there….and come pick me up as fast as you can."

 _You too. For what it is worth Beverley, I'm sorry. I will see you again soon. Picard out._

 _\--page break--_

Beverley replicated the most sophisticated tricorder that her replicator could create, and shoved it in her pack. She ran for the door and down to the street. She had no idea where to go, but she needed to go somewhere. She pulled out her tricorder and searched for locations that might interfere with a scan for her signal – a place with dense rock or radioactivity seemed most likely options. She found a cave about 10 kilometers to the North. A radioactive power station about 13 kilometers Southeast and, Beverley whirled around, continuing her scan, a mountain range a little over 20 kilometers to the West.

Deciding that radioactivity was the most likely to be an effective shield, she broke out in a run towards the power station. _If Jean Luc is 3 hours away, I can assume Madred is a similar distance. I think I can make it to the power station in 2 hours at this pace._ She shed a layer of clothing and took a sip of water to prepare her body for the task. Starfleet required active officers to be able to run 5 kilometers in 24 minutes. 13 km was quite a bit farther, but she believed she could do it. _What other choice do I have? Nowhere to go but forward._


	7. Chapter Seven

A short chapter this time. One more to go tomorrow!

Chapter 7

"Sir we are coming into sensor range of the planet now," Surki announced to her captain as she dropped the ship out of warp. "Cloaking device is holding, but, as you know, we will have to disable the cloak and shields in order to use the transporter."

Madred nodded. They had beaten the Enterprise to Morena. Now to finish this. Madred thought back to the news report.

"Surki, scan the Naran province for a human signature."

\--page break--

"Sir we have detected the signature of the Cardassian ship," Data announced as soon as his positronic brain had verified his findings, "it is already entering orbit around Morena."

"Dammit," Picard muttered, "time to intercept helm?"

Lt. Ashton turned to face her captain, "Another 18 minutes until we reach the planet, sir"

"Understood" Picard replied. He opened a ship wide channel, "All senior staff please report to the observation lounge at this time." He turned to the rear of the bridge, "Lt. Martin, you have the conn. I want to know as soon as we reach the solar system".

Picard, Riker, Troi, Data and Worf climbed the ramp to the observation lounge. La Forge and Dr. Selar joined shortly after and they were all seated.

"It seems the Cardassian vessel has beaten us to the punch," Picard began, "I have instructed Dr Crusher to search for any locations that might make her signal difficult to trace. We are currently 15 minutes from the planet, but it is likely that Madred and his crew will find her before we can get there."

"Sir, the doctor is well trained in hand to hand combat," Worf replied, "it is safe to assume that Gul Madred will be travelling with a small crew. She may be able to fend off the Cardassians until we can reach her."

"I believe Beverley will be able to find a defensible position, but I recommend we prepare an armed away team to beam down as soon as we are in transporter range." Riker added.

Data pulled up a map of the Naran province on the planet. "Dr. Crusher's last know position was here, at the apartment near the harbour." he motioned to a spot near the shore, "Presumably, she would have headed for a location with dense rock or radiation. I believe she would have moved towards the mountain range here, or the power station here."

Picard remembered what Deanna had said mere hours ago- _we love her too_. His crew had total faith in Beverley's ability to hold her own and make smart decisions. _If only my damn fears hadn't distracted me, I could have trusted her too. I should have told her everything._ "I believe she would head for the power station." Picard said aloud. "It is closer, and more likely to provide coverage. Number One, prepare an away team to beam down to the surface as soon as possible. We will put you down here," Picard motioned to a spot on the map, "and you will attempt to make contact with Doctor Crusher and retrieve her as quickly as possible. Thank you all for your input, dismissed."

\--page break--

Beverley had reached the power station as her tricorder began to flicker. The sight gave Beverley a rush of hope: _signal interference._ She looked around for a defensible position, and found an outcropping of rock that had only one way up and one way down. If she crouched there, she could avoid being seen, while also looking out for anyone who may come her way.

 _Hopefully the next person I see will be friendly._ She crouched down, clutching a large stick -the best weapon she could find- next to her.

\--page break--

"Sir we are approaching transporter range in one minute" Lt. Martin signalled to Picard in his ready room. He entered the bridge, knowing that Riker was ready in the transporter room with Worf and a small security team. As the Enterprise came to a stop in orbit around Morena 2, Picard signalled for the Enterprise to drop her shield and the away team to beam down to the surface.

Unfortunately, as soon as the Enterprise dropped her shield, Picard disappeared with the shimmer of a transporter beam.


	8. Chapter Eight

Here is the last chapter and epilogue. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. It's been fun!

Chapter 8

Lt. Commander Data rose from his position in the first officer's chair. "Data to transporter room" he called, "did you transport Captain Picard?"

"No sir" came O'Brien's reply, " Just awaiting orders to transport the away team, sir."

"The Captain is not close, but I can sense he is in great distress." Trio added.

Suddenly the ship rocked from impact. "Red Alert, shields up" Data commanded, "We are taking fire from the Cardassian ship. Helm initiate evasive maneuvers. Data to Riker "

"Riker here Data, what the hell is going on up there?"

"Commander, Captain Picard was beamed off the bridge, presumably by the Cardassian ship…" Data held the console in front of him as another impact rocked the ship, "We are now under fire from them, sir. They are using their cloaking device in between attacks, which will make it difficult to return fire."

"It seems our rescue mission is delayed Data, I'm on my way up" Riker called as he ran from the transporter room.

——page break—-

Beverley sat up slightly from her crouched position on the rock. _I'm all for staying hidden, but what the hell is taking so long?_

She had been lying at the ready for the last half and hour, and had seen neither friend nor foe. She spared a moment to consider her situation, never taking her eyes off the area in front of her.

She had suspected that this situation had something to do with her relationship with Jean Luc. The whole thing was just so out of character for him. He was usually steady as a rock, not panicked and secretive. _More than just a friend_. He had said. Were they? She certainly felt closer to him than her other friends, like Deanna. He really felt more like family. He was a big part of Wesley's upbringing, and he was a part of her daily life. She had missed him most of all in this past week of solitude…even though it was his own damn fault that she was here by herself in the first place…but no, she wasn't mad at him about that, not really. He was trying to protect her…because she was more than just a friend…

She had to admit there was an intense attraction there. A sexual tension that surfaced during stolen dances at Starfleet functions, or kisses-on-the-cheek at the end of a nightcap, or brushing hands as they ate breakfast together, or grazing his neck with her fingers as she helped him with his dress uniform…

 _Huh_ Beverley realized, thinking back over her time with Jean Luc, _more than friends indeed._

"Dr. Beverley Crusher!" a voice boomed in the field in front of her, causing her to duck down to the ground-stick firmly in her hand. "I know you are here somewhere. That radiation masked your signal for a while, but we found you eventually."

Beverley had never met the Cardassian Gul Madred, but she knew with all of her being that this was the voice she was hearing now. She heard him mutter something to one of his companions, followed by a very familiar voice saying "never". It was Jean Luc. _No_ Bev thought, _I don't know how they did it, but they got him._

"Picard your beloved doctor is not being very cooperative." The Gul continued, "perhaps she would come out of hiding if you called her."

Beverley risked raising her head a little to glance over the rock edge. There were 2 Cardassians, both male, walking with a very bloodied Jean Luc Picard. The captain had a large gash on his forehead, a cut on his neck - _the same wound he'd had from inserting the pain device on Celtrus III_ – and what looked like a broken wrist. He was shaking his head no to Madred.

"Oh Picard," Madred said, his voice almost joyful, "I would have thought you had endured enough pain at our last encounter, but here you test the boundaries of our game once again."

Jean Luc dropped to his knees as the pain device was activated. He moaned in pain and he leaned over to rest his forehead on the grass below.

"You can end this Crusher!" Madred called out, " Just show yourself and I will stop."

"No!" Jean Luc cried out in between gasps. He was nearing unconsciousness now. The pain had become so intense that he was starting to burst blood vessels in his face under the strain. His fingers weakly clawed at the dirt.

 _Just hold out Bev._ She started coaching herself, using every ounce of her strength to stop from getting up and ending this.

 _You can't help him if you're captured…._ She told herself. Fighting so hard to resist.

 _He doesn't want you to go through what he is going through…_

 _…he is protecting you because he loves you._

Picard's moans had turned into gasps. He was losing the strength to stay conscious.

 _…ah the hell with it. I'm going to save him right back because I love him too._

Beverley got up from her hiding spot and ran at full speed towards the Cardassians. She wielded her stick to knock the second Cardassian out as she turned her attention to Madred.

"At last, I finally meet you. I have come a long way for this little reunion" Madred had turned off Picard's implant, and the captain had slumped to the ground, panting for air.

"Beverley, no" Picard whispered as he closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this isn't going to go the way you wanted it to" Beverley said as she brought her body into the most powerful attack position that Worf had ever taught her. She brought the full force of her body towards Madred, striking him hard on the head and knocking the controller for the pain device out of his grasp. Before Madred could even recover from the blow, Beverley dashed forward and stepped down on the controller-smashing it with the heel of her boot.

"My my," the Gul said as he held his head, "you are magnificent. I can see why Picard went to such _painstaking_ lengths to keep you safe." He came forward and knocked Beverley down with the back of his hand. She flew backwards and landed on the ground. He came to her and stomped down on her chest. Her ribs gave a sickening crunch and she bit back a scream of pain. He raised his foot to kick her again, when she grabbed his foot on the way down, twisting Madred's ankle and throwing him to the ground.

"You are a vile creature, Madred." Beverley countered raising herself slowly as she held her ribs. "You are so so wrong. You thought you could defeat Jean Luc by bringing me into this, but I don't make him weaker- we make each other stronger."

Madred shook his head, "I have seen nothing but fear when I mention your name to him. When it comes to your safety Picard is cowardly, submissive. You are his greatest weakness. You are the path to his defeat."

Picard rolled over in the dirt to see Beverley standing across from Madred – ready to strike. The words spoken by the Cardassain felt true, and he winced that Beverley should have to see the truth in such a way.

"Well then this will be a lesson for both of you: I am not his greatest weakness, I am his secret weapon" Beverley said as she raced towards Madred- striking him in the chest and knocking him to the ground. She fell to the ground herself from the impact, holding her ribs.

Picard watched Beverley fall to the ground – clutching her ribs as she set her jaw – preparing to rise again. _Stronger_ _together_. Picard remembered learning about Ancient Earth history and the stories of the nation of Sparta. There, members of the military were actually encouraged to fall in love with each other because the Spartans believed that their warriors would fight harder alongside the people they loved. Picard himself had certainly drawn on his love for Beverley in difficult times as a way to help him persevere. _She is not my weakness. I am stronger with her by my side_...

Picard pulled himself up. He was in no fighting shape, but he knew he must try for Beverley. He stepped towards Madred, faltering slightly, but keeping deadly focus on his enemy.

Madred smiled as he saw Picard get up. "Very good human," the Cardassian shouted as he lifted himself up on his knees, "we will have much to discuss on our trip back to Cardassia. Benga, let's return to the ship…."

"...Benga?"

Madred turned to see what was keeping his crewman from responding to his command, and saw Benga kneeling with his hands in the air, Lt. Commander Worf holding a phaser against his head, flanked by two security officers.

"I believe your trip has been cancelled." Worf stated. "Captain, Doctor, I apologize for the delay. We were unable to beam down due to an attack on the Enterprise from the Cardassian ship."

"Mister Worf," Picard rasped, "I think your timing was just fine. Is the ship all right?"

"The threat has been neutralized sir".

Gul Madred moved to a standing position, "What have you done?" he shouted at the Klingon, "you are fools, all of you. My daughter is on that ship, and if any harm has come to her…"

"Captain," Worf continued, "two female Cardassians were captured from the ship and are currently awaiting interrogation in our brig. I believe if the _Gul_ would like them to be treated well, he would be…compliant." Worf sneered at the Cardassian as his security guards approached Madred and Benga, phasers at the ready.

"Worf I have never been so happy to see someone in my entire life." Beverley called as she rolled to a sitting position. "Captain, permission to get the hell off of this planet."

"Doctor you took the words right out of my mouth." Jean Luc responded.

Worf tapped his communicator, his security team moving towards the Doctor and Captain to prepare them for transport, "Worf to Enterprise: 7 to beam up. Please have a security and medical team ready in the transporter room."

Jean Luc and Beverley locked eyes with each other as the blissful beam of the transporter grabbed them. Both weary with injuries and ridiculously grateful to see each other again. _Hope_ hung between them in the air as they shimmered away.

Epilogue

"Wes! Hi! I'm so glad to hear from you!" Beverley Crusher had finally gotten a hold of her son, three days after beaming back to the Enterprise. Her ribs were completely healed, thanks to her excellent sickbay team, and she was set to return to full duty tomorrow.

"Mom," Wesley smiled, "Glad to see you too. How was your conference?"

Beverley smiled, "Oh, you know…" she shrugged, "kinda lonely to be out there on my own. I did learn a but about myself and some of my crew mates in the process though… not a total waste of time." Beverley was proud of the way she had held her own against a Cardassian foe, and proud of the way the crew worked together to bring her home…. And she had learned quite a bit about one crew mate in particular, a certain Captain who was showing her a different side of himself more and more in the days following their return to the ship.

If fact she was learning more about him as she spoke. While she sat at the desk speaking with Wesley on the computer, he was on the other side of the room, straightening her pillows in the couch…again. _I guess I should have expected him to be a total neat freak…_ she mused with a smile.

"Well it looks like you enjoyed your trip from here, Mom. I haven't seen you smile like that in a while" Wesley continued, oblivious to the cleaning spree happening in his mothers quarters.

"I guess I'm just happy to see you" Bev answered, "Hey the Captain told me you were preparing for your science finals. I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

"its okay Mom. I actually did okay – I think I might have aced it."

 _My little prodigy_ Beverley beamed as her son spoke. _He is so smart and strong, it's about time I trust him with his own future._ It was time to tell him about Admiral Waller's offer to fast track him onto a starship, and let Wes make his own decisions. After the events of last week, both her and Jean Luc were learning to be a little more open and trusting with the people around them. "Wes, I'm so happy for you! We need to celebrate in person. The Enterprise is going to be coming close to Earth in two weeks time. I thought maybe we could have a nice dinner at that restaurant you like on the bay."

"That sounds great Mom, the Betaziod flame cake is calling my name already."

"Oh and Wes," Beverley looked up to see Jean Luc looking at her expectantly. The two of them had been inseparable since returning to the ship. As they realized their own feelings towards each other, and that those feeling were reciprocated, they had begun a new relationship. _Love_. She hadn't been sure she would ever find it again, but this time love found her all by itself. Beverley was stunned to uncover the strength of Jean Luc's feeling for her, and equally shocked to realize she felt just as strongly for him. The doctor continued, "I was wondering, do you think it would be ok with you if Jean Luc joined us for dinner?"

 _Ah_ , thought Wes, _so this is why my Mom is in such a good mood._ "Great," he replied, he'd been waiting years for this to happen, "so the whole family will be there then."

"Yeah," Bev smiled at Jean Luc, "the whole family."

The End!


End file.
